What a great idea to spin off horror into its own podcast. Records from the Twilight Tales, that in particular featured the reading of Larry’s Little Girl Down the Way, were the first podcast I ever subscribed to back in 2006 or so. I’m a fan since and I love both your story telling and voice / acting, you’ll be a perfect host for the new show. But will we also hear you read the stories?

Chair was disturbing (a plus), and for some reason something in its style reminded me of the Jon Armstrong’s Grey.

I sent Larry a note after listening to episode one, Chair. Here it is:

This story was a hefty future gothic with a great spec fic premise – alarming, disturbing and darkly funny. It reminded me of Jonathan Swift’s A Modest Proposal writ large and flung not too far forward. Impressed is not a feeling a usually experience during my morning commute, but that was the effect of this story. Thank you, Larry. Keep ’em coming.

Thanks, all. Tell your friends, build the word. I hope you’ll listen in this coming Friday. I’m reading Joe R. Lansdale’s “God of the Razor.” This is the guy, and maybe the story, that turned a s.f.-only reader/writer into a dark fantasy/horror fan.

Thanks to everyone who stopped by during the first week of TALES TO TERRIFY. On Friday, Jan. 20, our second show will be ‘cast, this time featuring Joe R. Lansdale’s GOD OF THE RZAZOR. I love this story. Reading it a couple decades ago was one of the defining moments of my writing life. Tune in to see how that worked. Reading it a few days ago for TtT, was great fun. And thanks, Joe, for letting us use it.

Also featured in this Friday’s offering, “Horror, Anarchy and Doom,” the first of Andy Remic’s monthly commentaries on horror and dark fantasy.

For you Martin Mundt fans, Marty’s story, CHAIR, will be archived and available for listening.

So there. If you’ve become one of our Children of the Night, I’ll see you again at midnight tonight. If not… I look forward to your first visit to the fireplace…

A deeply strange and beautifully written story. That combination of dystopian science fiction and horror was both arresting an unique. Martin’s poetic language, and his excellent narration made for a riveting listen. And, hats off to Tony for handing the host reins over to Larry Santoro, himself a wonderful writer and one of those people whose voice you’d want to listen to even if he was reading out the telephone directory.

Chair resonates. This is a magnificent piece that captures the nightmares of our present economic culture. I’ve felt the disdain and dismissal of the elite. I’ve been filled with euphoria once acquiring any form of employment. I’ve performed my duties and responsibilities to the best of my ability while suffering extraordinary costs content with my hopes and dreams.

I am an optimist, after all.

I look forward to future tales to terrify. Well done to all the staff.

I’m really enjoying this podcast. The stories and narration are excellent! I made Martin my Saturday Spotlight for this week because of how much I loved “Chair.” I’ll also be putting your promo in my podcast. Keep up the great work!

Thanks, Tim, for spreading the word about TtT. We’re new, we’re learning and we’ve got a great crew putting the show together. I want the ‘cast to showcase the unique as well as to offer work by masters in the field, contemporary, modern and classic. That means dead authors as well as living ones and old ones. I wanted to begin with Marty because Marty is a damn good writer of whom too few people have heard. He’s also a terrific reader and that counts for a lot when you’re just sitting in the dark and having the show breathed into your head.

Just wanted to let you know how much I enjoyed “Chair” – grotesque, funny, with a really controlled tone = a really good story. And the author did a great job reading as well.

While “Chair” obviously looks ahead to the economic future we, as a country, seemingly desire with all our hearts so as not to be seen as European (“careful what you wish for” rubes and shills), it also put me in mind of the ogre Minski and his unique interior decorations in Sade’s 120 DAYS OF SODOM. I look forward to the next episode.

What a chilling tale! With the finger absolutely on the pulse of world events, the current gradual step-by-step corporatization of everything and societies’ consequent transition back to oligarchy. The real-life trend is so extreme and universal that IMHO only socialist revolution or Judgement Day can prevent something like this story becoming reality. But socialism is immensely unpopular, and we can’t hold our breaths waiting for Judgement day. So we’d better all start thinking about what we’ll sell when the time comes.

There’s not much to add to what’s already been said. What a way to begin! So much to enjoy in Marty’s story. What a bold and nuanced imaginative vision. I’ll never look at Cowboy boots the same way again.

Aloha Terror Tribe!
I Love finding a new pod cast – especially about this subject matter – ! I listen while I make art, while I paint. Listening helps me work through the many, long, lonely hours of putting brush to canvas, and makes me forget that they are many, long, lonely hours. Because, now, I’m not lonely. I’m with Larry Santoro & his friends.

“Tales to Terrify” is my wonderful new audio-muse; a muse to get my imagination and creative mojo flowing. Thank you!

Martin Mundt – U Rawk!

“I am,” I said
To no one there
An no one heard at all
Not even the chair
“I am,” I cried
“I am,” said I
And I am lost, and I can’t even say why
Leavin’ me lonely still

This is the first horror podcast I’ve ever listened to, needless to say it did not disappoint. The Chair made me feel sick to my stomach and I have never felt anything of the like from any kind of story before. Love the podcast and cannot wait to listen to more!

Links to this post

[…] I picked up a habit of listening to short stories on my morning commute, but the risk in that is investing my time on a story without a payoff. “Chair,” by Martin Mundt is the first episode on a great new podcast called Tales to Terrify. I was a little surprised to find such a humorous story leading off the playlist for a horror podcast, but it does have terrifying elements, and is overall a tremendous story. The best part about this Saturday Spotlight, is you can listen to this story for free on iTunes or http://www.TalestoTerrify.com. […]

[…] Episode #1 is Martin Mundt’s Chair, narrated by the author, a too-realistic for comfort’s sake tale of a man trying to make it rich. I wanted to hate this story, I did, but it’s so well written, and so believable in the way that all good stories are, that I listened to the end, and enjoyed every word. […]